Scale.



C. E. BIRD.

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Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

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SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2a. 1911.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. |911. 1 ,274,977 Patented Aug. 6, 1918. 4SHEETS-*SHEET 4. I

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'UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

CHARLES E. BIRD, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SCALE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 28, 1917. Serial No. 151,464.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BIRD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scales;and

nations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims. y

Scales for the above noted purpose have hitherto been of one or theother of the following types, to wit: on one instance, the scalemechanism and hopper have been located on the ground floor, the grainweighed and then elevated, and thereafter directly delivered to the car;and in the other instance, the scale beam has been located on the groundHoor, the scale levers and hopper have been located in thesuperstructure of the elevator and the weighed grain spouted from thescale hopper into the cars. In the latter noted arrangement, the scalebeams have been connected to the scale levers through connectionsmounted on, or guided by guiding devices forming part of, or otherwiseconnected to the elevator structure. It is a well known fact that allelevators will not only settle, but, in settling, will move from truevertical position, and hence, it has resulted that in the second abovenoted construction, thersettling of the elevator would throw the scalemechanism out of level so that it would no longer accurately weigh.

My invention obviates the disadvantages of both of the above noted scalearrangements in an extremely simple and eficient manner. An importantfeature of the invention consists in suspending the scale beain and beamboX or support from the elerated scale levers, or mechanism, by means ofgravity-arighted pendulum or connection which is unrestrained by theelevator structure, and Will always hang ,in a true perpendicularposition, regardless of settling,

Patented Aug. 6, 1918'.

shrinking, or tilting of the elevator or building in which the scale isinstalled. Otherwise stated, the so-called depending column is hungl atits upper end and is free at its lower end, so that under the action ofgravity, it will automatically assume an approximately vertical positioneven if the building should settle or tilt slightly.

The scale hopper, and scale levers, and the like, are located at the topof the grain bins, and the scale beam is located low down and below thebins where it may be manipulated from the ground floor, and the Aweighedgrain is spouted from the scale hopper d irectly to the cars.

The invention also involves certain novel features of improvement in thescale mechanisin proper, whereby it is made impossible to open the gateof the garner while the gate of the scale hopper is open, or to open thegate of said hopper while the gate of said garner is open. I, Y,

The improved scale, in its preferred forni and embodiment, isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters.indicate like parts throughout the several` views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a view in diagramn'iatic elevation showing the improvedscale applied to an ordinary grain storage or country elevator;

F ig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in verticalsection, showing the scale mechanism on a larger scale than in Fig. 1;and l Figs. 3 and are enlarged views chiefly in side elevation, butpartly in vertical section, showing portions of the garner, the scalehopper and the upper scale mechanism.

Of the parts of the elevator structure, the numeral 5 indicates the mainbuilding, the numeral 6 certain of the grain bins thereof, and thenumeral 7 the grain elevator, which latter delivers to a garner 8 havingthe usual discharge spout 9 and overflow spout l0. The discharge spout 9is arranged to be opened and closed by a gate 11 carried by a yoke 12pivoted to the sides of said spout and connected thereto by a togglelinlc 13, which,-wlienstraightened,l opens said gate and, when buckled,closes said gate. l'The Spent 94 delivers .t0 a scale hopper 14;, which,

in turn, delivers to the upper end of a shipping spout and' is adaptedvto deliver to a car 16 on a track at one side of the elevator. Thescale hopper 14 has a counter-weighted discharge gate 17 hinged theretovat`18.

The numeral 19 indicates overhead beams n bymeans of 'a fulcrum yoke 23hung -fro'mV a ho'ok bracket 24 on said casin-g and 'having' eyes thatengage fulcrum lugs on said lever.

The scale'hopper 14,011 top, has a hoodlike bracket connected tothesides thereof,"by metal strips 26a; tionof this vhood`25 is pivotallyVconnected to the lower end ofa hanger yoke 26 that is pivotally hung on'the yshort' end of the main scal'e lever 22, so that'the saidhopperissus'-v pendetl entirely lfrom the said scale' lever.

This, however, is the usual constructiom Journaled in' the lower portionof the hood 25 is a short rock shaft27 that is prof a weighted arm 28,va trip arm 29l vided with and a crank arm 31. The said crank arm 31isconnected by a link to the long end of an'uppergate'closing lever 32.This lever 32, near its other end, is pivoted at 33 to a bearing r34: onthe lower portion of the casing 20. Th-e rock shaft 27,l at one end, hasa crank arm"` 35 pivotally connected to the up#l per end of a gateactuating rod 36, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to thehopper gate 17. Here it should be noted (see Figs. 2 and 3) lthatnormally, oi-when the gate 17 vis closed, the crooked upper end ofthe'rod 316 stops against the rock 'shaft 27 and limits the movement ofthe crank arm 35 in the one direction, to a position in which it'isslightly beyond a dead center,- and will, therefore, automaticallyholdthe gate in its closed position against the weight of theload of graininthe hopper.

The numeral 37 indicates a latch'bar, one endA of which is pivotallyconnected to the intermediatejoint of the toggle 13. This lever 37vis'at one side of the hood 25 'and near its extended end, it has aylongitudinal slot 38' thateng-ages a fixed 'guide pin' 38a' secured toyand projecting from the sides of, thecasing 20. At its extended end,this latch bar 37 has a latch lug or shoulder 39 'that en'oages acoperating'shoulder 40 on the main scale lever 22 when thega'rner gate'11 is' open'and the scale hopper has not' yet been iiljled tvo-thepredetermined weight.

i Mounted inthe lintermediate portion of thfefcasing=20 'below the leverand latch bar 37, is a secondfrock shaftel provided lug 47 and the upperpor-y with four arms 12, 43, all and 15. To the arm is attached a longoperating rodl, the lower end of which terminates in a position whichmay be reached from the first lioor of the elevator. ln the position ofthe parts shown in Fig. 3, in which position, the hopper gate is closedand the garner gate is open, the end of the arm 4:3 overlies a locksecured on an arm i8 rigidly secured to` and carriedbythe'latch bar 37,so that it is impossible at this time to open the hopper gate, or toclose the garner gate, which actions, `as will presently be noted', 'areautomatically accomplished when the load of the properfwe'ight has beendelivered into the scale hopper.

.The arm Ll2 coperates with a pi'voted latch bar' restoring Iolog 49piv'ote'd to said latch bari Thesaid arm/l2 isalso pivotallyv connectedto' oneendfof a trip rod"50, the extended end -ofwhichy is adapted to bethrust against the trip arm 29 of the rock shaft 27, and theintermediate portion of which works through a guide 51 yshown'as'supported by the'bearing 34:.'

The numeral 52 'indicates'a long vertical pendulum, preferably oftubular form, the upper end of which'is pivotally connected at 53 `tothe 'scale lever 'casing orI frame 20,"

for swinging movements i'n a'pla-ne at a right angle to the 'plane oflateral oscillation of said casing.4 This long tubular pendulum isfreely suspended and gravity-held, always' in a 'vertical position,andit extends downthrough the bin structure, or 'other part of theelevator, to a position reasonably close to thefirst floor ofithebuilding. As shown, this pendulum52 'works with ample clearancethrough'a tubular housingv 54:A

shown'as; extended throughone of the bins A so-called bearnbox;V orsupporting framefvl is securedfto'the lower end of the tubular pendulum52, and the scale beam 55 is fulcrumedi thereto at 56,'in theusualoranysuitable way. A long beam rod 57 is extended freelythroughftheftubular pelr dulum 52, and at* its upper end,'it 'ishuhgfrom the free end rof 'the main scale lever 22, and at its-'lowerYend,'is` connected tothe scale beam 55. This rod' 57 hasnot'ontactwhatever with the' said pendulum or with any of theparts except the'saidscale lever and'beam.

Thenumerals 58 and 59 vindicatethe customary beam weights. The numeral60 indicates a pointer 'that coperates with a scale 61on the beam box'and is operated automatically from the scale beam in any 'suitable way,which,'howe\*er, constitutes no part of the'present invention. K

The lower end ofthe operating rod 1G is pivoted' to the intermediateportion'of an operatinglever '62,' which, as shown, ispirotetl 'to''asuitable support near the iist floor' llO for operating a 'tally 64 of aconstruction not necessary for the purposes of this case to consider.

As is evident in the above described scale, the so-called pendulum whichsupports the scale beam is universally free for swinging movement. Moreproperly speaking, it does not swing at all in respect to a verticalposition, but retains a Vertical position, regardless of changingpositions of the elevator structure or building in which it isinstalled. The accuracy of the scale is, therefore, always maintained.

ln. what may be assumed to be normal positions, the gates on both of thegarners or grain supply spout, and of the scale hopper, will, of course,be closed. Figs. 2 and 3, show the hopper gate closed but the garnergate open, so that grain will then run into the scale hopper. When thegrain in the hopper reaches the predetermined weight for which the scaleis set, the said hopper will lower, thereby raising the free end of thescale, main lever 22 and carrying its lock shoulder out of engagementwith the lock shoulder 39 of the latch bar 37. This releases the saidbar 37, and permits the garner gate 11 to be closed under the action ofgravity; and here it should be noted that this automatic closing of thegate and movement of the latch bar 37 toward the right and into positionshown in Fig. 3, are vmade possible because the toggle 13 is normallypartly buckled, or at one side of its dead center. y

OfA course, closing of the gate 11 stops further supply of grain intothe scale hopper.

rthereby rocking the shaft 41 so as to move its several arms from thepositions shown' in Fig. v3 to positionshownin Fig. 4.-` This movementof the said rock shaft andits arms causes the trip rod Oyto pressagainst trip arm 29 of rock shaft 27,1thereby throwing arm 35 to theleftside lof'fits dead center,

and'thus releasing the rod 36and permitting the' same to drop yinto theposition shown inA F ig. 4, thereby opening thehopper gate and effectingthe discharge `of grain'from the hopper, which grain, of course, `passesthrough spout 15 tor the car. It will be noted "that the weighted arm28`of the vrockv shaft 27 is moved from one side to thefother of a verticalposition, so tha-tit tends to holdthe said rock vshaft in eitherofthepositions in which it may be set. This gate, however, not suflicient toovercome the weight 17a of the hopper gate 17, and hence, as soon as theload is discharged from the The aboveenoted movement of thev latch bar37 toward the right carries the Y building.

scale hopper, the saidA weight 17a will automatically close the saidgate and again throw the weighted arm 28 to the right of its verticalposition and raise the crank 35, thereby again closing and locking thehopper gate. This movement, however, does not again open the garner gate11, but be fore considering the opening action of the latter, attentionis again directed to Fig. 4, which shows the position of the parts whilethe hopper gate is open and the load is being discharged. In thisposition, it will be noted that the short end of the latch bar 32 is inthe path of movement of the arm 44, so that the operating rod 46, atsuch time, can not be drawn downward, and hence, as will presently bemore clearly understood, the

said garner gate can not possibly be openedwhile the hopper gate isopen.

Of course, as soon as the hopper pocket is relieved from its load, itwill be again raised by the main scale beam 22, the long` end of thelatter being again swung downward. The opening of the garner gate isproduced by pulling downward on the operating rod 46 at a time when, asabove noted, the upper gate is closed and the short end of the latch bar32 is pressed downward. Vhen the operating rod 46 is pulled downward,the trip rod 50 will be retracted and the arms 42, operating on the dog49,

will force the latch bar 37 toward the left and rengage the shoulder 39thereof, with the shoulder 40 of the then depressed scale lever 22,thereby opening the garner gate and again setting the parts in theposition shown in Fig. 3. Y

Asalreadyindicated, the salient feature of the present invention isfound Vin the manner of supporting the scale beam. This scale beam, evenin itself, or with its weights, constitutes one form of weightindicator, but it may be associated with a scale and. pointer for givingan additional and nioreeasily readable weight indication. lt may also beproperly described as a lower load equalizing device, while the upper ormain scale lever may be properly described as an upper load equalizinvdevice, and from a broad point of view, these upper and lower loadequalizing devices may take various forms,

but they must be interconnected so thatf they coperatein equalizing orsupportingv the load. already pointed out, that these upper land lowerload equalizing devices be connected in 4such manner that the latter mayassume its natural position under the action of gravity, withoutinterference from thelmilding structure, but it is of vthe utmost andvital importance that the Vvertical connection between the two hare aconstant dimension and vbe not affected by settling of the This can beaccomplished only by providing a pendulum or depending sup- It is notonly important, as

porting column that is supported only at its upper end. )therwisestated, the support for the scale beam or lower load equalizing deviceshould not be attached to a lower floor or to any of the adjacent lowerparts of the building, because if thus supported, it would be materiallyaffected by shrinkage and settling of the building, and the connectionbetween the upper and lower load equalizing device would not remainconstant.

The term garner is herein used in a broad sense to include any kind of adevicen for supplying grain or other material to the hopper. The Atermhopper is also used in a broad sense to include any kind of a receptaclewhich is suspended from the scale mechanism and adapted to receive anddischarge the grain or other material.

What I claim is:

1. A self-contained scale mechanism, comprising interconnected upper andlower load equalizers, and a hopper suspended from said upper loadequalizer, all of said parts being gravity arighted.

2. A scale comprising` upper and lower load equalizers, a dependinghanger carrying said lower load equalizer at its lower end and itselfsupported from its upper end so that its lower end will be unaffected bysettling of the building in which it is hung, an operating connectionbetween said upper and lower loadV equalizers, and a gravity-arightedhopper suspended from said upper load equalizer.

3. A scale comprising upper and lower load equalizers, a dependingcolumn carrying said lower load equalizerat its lower end and itselfsupported from its upper end, and an operating connection between saidupper and lower. load equalizers.

1. A scale comprising upper and lower load equalizers, a depending`column carrying said lower load equalizer at its lower end and itselfsupported from its upper end with freedom for swinging movements.lwhereby it is arighted by gravity, and an operating connection betweensaid upper and lower load equalizers.

5. A scale comprising upper and lower load equalizers, a dependingcolumn carrying said lower load equalizer at its lower end, and itselfsupported from its upper end, an operating connection between said upperand lower load equalizers, and a scale hopper suspended from said upperload equalizer.

6. A scale comprising upper and'lower load equalizers, a depending`tubular column hung from its upper end and having at its lower end asupport for said lower load equalizer, and a rod extended through saidtubular column and connecting said upper and lower load equalizers.

7. A scaleeomprsing upper and lower' load equalizers, a dependingtubular column hung from its upper end and having at its lower end asupport for said lower load equalizer, and a connection extended throughsaid tubular column and connecting said upper and lower load equalizers,the said column being free for swinging movements at its lower end,whereby it will be arighted by gravity.

8. In a scale, the combination with an upper load equalizer including amain scale lever, of a scale hoppersupported from said main lever, alower load equalizer including a scale beam, a column hung from itsupper end and provided atits lower end with a fulcrum for said scalebeam, and a connection from said -main scale lever to said scale beam,following said column but out of contact therewith.

9. In a scale, the combination with support vhung for lateral swingingmovements, a main scale lever fulcrumed to said support, a hoppersupported from said main scale lever, a vdepending column hung from saidsupportand carrying a beam fulcrum at its lower end, a scale beammounted on the said beam fulcrum, anda connection from said scale leverto said scale beam following said column but out of contact therewith.

10. A scale comprising an upper lever mechanism, a `gravity suspendedself-arighting column hung from its upper end and provided at its lowerend with a beam support, a scale beam fulcrumed to said beam support,and a connection between the said beam and said upper lever mechanism.

11. In a scale, the combination with a garner having a discharge gate,of scale mechanism including a scale lever. a scale hopper supportedfrom said lever in position to receive from said garner, said hopperhaving a gate, and interconnected operating devices for said garner` andhopper gates including latch devices arranged to prevent opening' ofsaid hopper gate while said garner gate is open, and to prevent openingof said garner gate while said hopper gate is open.

12. The combination with an elevated scale mechanism, and a scale hoppersuspended therefrom, of a garner delivering to said hopper, said` garnerand hopper having discharge gates, and mechanism for operating saidgates, including an operating conneetion extending downward to a lowerpoint remote therefrom.

13. A scale with a suspended gravity arighted scale mechanism and ascale hopper hung therefrom, of a garner delivering to said hopper, saidhopper and garner having discharge gates, independent gate operatingconnections for said two gates, and a common operating device for thesaid two actuators, including a connection extended downward tov a pointremote from the said hopper.

14. In a scale mechanism, the combination with a main scale lever and ahopper suspended therefrom, of a garner arranged to deliver to saidhopper and provided with a gate, a latch bar connected to and operatingsaid garner gate, the said lever and latch` bar having parts thatinterlock when said garner gate is raised and said garner gate isopened, the said interlocking connection being released by downwardmovement of said hopper.

l5. In a scale, the combination with upper and lower equalizing devicesand an operating connection between the two, of a hopper suspended fromsaid upper load equalizer, a garner delivering' to said hopper, saidhopper and garner having gates for controlling the discharge,respectively, therefrom, and mechanism for operating said two gates,including an operating connection extended downward from said upper loadequalizer to a point in the vicinity of said lower equalizer.

16. In a scale, the combination with upper andlower equalizing devicesand an operating connection between the two, of' a hopper suspended fromsaid upper load equalizer', a garner delivering to said hopper', saidhopper and garner having gates for controlling the discharge,respectively, therefrom, and mechanism for equalizing said two gates,including an operating connection extended downward. from said upperload equalizer to a point in the vicinity of said lower equalizer, thesaid lower load equalizer 'being suspended from a point in the vicinityof said upper load equalizer. Y

17. A scale comprising a gravity-arighted upper load equalizer, adepending hanger hung from its upper end, a lower load equalizer carriedby the lower portion of said hanger, an operating connection betweensaid upper and lower load equalizers, and a scale hopper carried by saidupper' load equalizer.

18. A scale comprising gravity-arighted upper and lower load equalizers,an operating connection between said upper and lower load eqnalizers,and a hanger hung from its upper end and supporting said lower loadequalizer in predetermined vertical relation to said upper loadequalizer, independently of the structure in which the scale isinstalled.

19. The combination with an inclosing structure, such as a grainelevator, the said structure having bins therein, of a scale comprisingupper and lower load equalizers, respectively, in the vicinity of theupper and lower portions of said bins, an operating connection betweensaid two load equalizers, a hanger supported from said structure at itsupper end and at its lower end, carrying said lower load equalizer andholding the same in predetermined vertical relation to saidupper loadequalizer, independently of said structure.

20. The combination with an inclosiug structure, such as a grainelevator', the said structure having bins'therein, of a scalecoinprising upper and lower load equalizers, respectively, in thevicinity of the upper and lower portions of said bins, an operatingconnection between said two load equalizers, a hanger supported fromsaid structure at its upper end and at its lower end, carrying saidlower load equalizer and holding the same in predetermined verticalrelation to said upper load equalizer, independently of said structure,and a hopper suspended from said upper load equalizer.

21. The combination with an inclosing structure, such as a grainelevator, the said structure having bins therein, of a scale comprisingupper and lower load equalizers, respectively, in the vicinity of theupper-and lower portions of said bins, an operating connection betweensaid two load equalizers, a hanger supported from said structure at itsupper end and at its lower end, carrying said lower load equalizer andholding the same in predetermined vertical relation to said upper loadequalizer, independently of said structure, and a hopper suspended fromsaid upper load equalizer, the said upper and lower load equalizers andhopper being gravity-arighted.

22. In a scale, the combination with a gravity-arighted support, and ahanger depending therefrom, of an upper load equalizer mounted on andcarried by said gravityarighted support, a lower load equalizer carriedby the lower portion of said hanger, and an operating connection betweensaid two load equalizers.

23. In a scale, the combination with a gravity-arighted support, and ahanger depending therefrom, of an upper load equalizer mounted on andcarried by said gravityarighted support, a lower load equalizer carriedby the lower portion of said hanger, an operating connection betweensaid two load equalizers, and a gravity-arighted hopper suspended fromsaid upper load equalizer.

24. In a scale, the combination with a gravity-arighted support, and ahanger depending therefrom, of an upper load equalizer mounted on andcarried by said gravityarighted support, a lower load equalizer carriedby the lower portion of said hanger, an operating connection betweensaid two load equalizers, a gravity-arighted hopper suspended from saidupper load equalizer, a garner delivering to said hopper, said garnerand hopper having independent gates, and mechanism operated by saidupper load equalizer for automatically closing said garner gate.

25. f In a. scalemechanisin, the coiiibination with upper andlower loadequalizersfand; an operating connection between Ithe two, of a hoppersupported by said upper load equalizer, va garner deliveiing to the saidhopper, said hopper and garner having gates for controlling thedischarge, respectively, therefrom, means for independently butautomatically closing said gai'nerand hopper gates,andn'ieans'operative, at will, for independently opening saidgarner'andhopper gates.

26; In-a scale mechanism, the combination with an upper load equalizer,a lower load equalizer and an operating connection between the two, ofia hopper supported bysaid upper load equalizer, agarner delivering'ftosaid hopper, said hopper and garner having gates for controlling thedischarge, respectively, therefrom, automatic mechanism associatedlwithy saidupper-load equalizer, hopper and garner gates, and gate`actuating connections for opening said two gates,-at

will, said= gate1 actuating connections being" extended downward ,to thevicinity of said lower load equalizer.

27. l In a scale mechanism the combination with upper Aand lower loadiequalizers and an= operating connection between the'two,- of a hoppersupported'bysaid-upper load equalizer, a garner deliveringto the saidhopper, said hopper and garner having gates for controlling thedischarge,

respectively, therefrom, means for independently but automaticallyclosing said garner and hopper gates, and means operative,- at will, forindependently opening said garner and hopper gates, and latch mechanismassociated with said upper load equalizer and operative to preventeither one of the said gates from being opened Wlienthe otherisalreadyopen.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES Ely BIRD.

Witnesses HARRY DKU-.601114, FRANK D. MERCHANT.

Copies of thislpaten'tmay be obtained for" lve'cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner offatents, Washington; D.'y C.

